One-Pot Wonders

Smoky Southwest Chicken Thighs with Charred Corn & Poblano Gnocchi

by:
August  8, 2024
4.7
7 Ratings
Smoky Southwest Chicken Thighs with Charred Corn & Poblano Gnocchi
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 45 minutes
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

This may come as a shock to some, but gnocchi—or ñoquis for this occasion—can seamlessly fit into almost any cuisine. Why should Italian food get all the joys of tiny potato dumplings? Gnocchi is a blank canvas, and these days, it's easy to find quality and delicious gnocchi in your supermarket's refrigerated or frozen section. Of course, homemade gnocchi is delightful and well worth the effort, but I'll leave that to those who have the time and space. For this recipe, store-bought gnocchi gets the Southwestern treatment, sautéed in rendered chicken fat and butter, then tossed in a creamy, charred corn and poblano sauce that's as smoky as it is sweet. Crispy chicken thighs are nestled atop the creamy gnocchi, and the whole dish gets even more smoky seasoning, a touch of lime, queso fresco, and cilantro. Consider this proof that gnocchi is a versatile powerhouse, and its possibilities have no limits. —César Pérez

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Smoky Southwest Chicken Thighs with Charred Corn & Poblano Gnocchi
Ingredients
  • FOR THE SMOKY SPICE BLEND:
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • FOR THE CORN & POBLANO SAUCE:
  • 4 corn on the cobs, charred and stripped from cob, 1 cup reserved
  • 1 poblano, charred
  • ½ white or yellow onion, skin on, charred
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ½ cups sour cream or Mexican crema
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • FOR THE CHICKEN THIGHS:
  • 5 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon smoky spice blend
  • FOR THE GNOCCHI:
  • 16 ounces refrigerated or frozen gnocchi
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ cups prepared corn & poblano sauce
  • 1 cup reserved charred corn kernels
  • FOR SERVING:
  • 1 lime, zest & juice
  • 2 ounces queso fresco or Cotija cheese
  • Cilantro, freshly chopped
  • 1 pinch prepared smoky spice blend
Directions
  1. For the Smoky Spice Blend: In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients and set aside.
  2. Prepare the Vegetables: Over a gas burner or under a broiler, char the corn, poblano pepper, onion, and garlic. (Optionally, trim the top off of a head of garlic and wrap in aluminum foil along with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.) Once everything is charred, place the poblano in a small bowl covered with a plate or plastic wrap and allow it to sweat for 5 minutes. Remove from the bowl, peel off the charred skin, and roughly chop. (Optionally, remove the seeds.) Using a small upside down bowl as a base inside of a larger bowl, carefully stand each corn cob on its end and run a knife down the side to strip the kernels. Reserve one cup of corn kernels and set aside. Remove the paper from the onion and roughly chop.
  3. Make the Corn & Poblano Sauce: To a blender, combine the remaining corn (except for the cup of reserved kernels), poblano, onion, garlic, sugar, sour cream or crema, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
  4. Make the Chicken Thighs: Preheat the oven to 375°. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and season with salt, pepper, and one teaspoon of spice blend. Place chicken skin side down in the skillet and cook until golden brown. Flip over and cook for 5 minutes before transferring the skillet to the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken registers 165° on an instant read thermometer. Remove the skillet from the oven and set the chicken aside. Drain all but one tablespoon of fat.
  5. Make the Gnocchi: Place the skillet back over medium-high heat. Add the gnocchi and cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes to sear. Add 1 ½ cups of the corn & poblano sauce, the reserved charred corn kernels, and stir occasionally until heated through and the sauce is thickened. Add more sauce if needed. Arrange the chicken thighs on top of the gnocchi and remove from heat. Garnish with lime zest & juice, queso fresco, chopped cilantro, and a pinch of smoky spice blend.
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  • Jade DaRu
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  • fisherm3
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  • Hope Carr
    Hope Carr
César Pérez

Recipe by: César Pérez

Recipe Developer & Food52 Test Kitchen Content Creator

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7 Reviews

Darian
Darian September 4, 2024
I loved the new twist on a gnocchi dish. Just for my own convenience I removed the corn from the cob then charred under my broiler. Also I used chicken breasts for personal preference. It was a really nice combination of textures and flavors.
 
Jade D.
Jade D. August 15, 2024
I just watched the video and I am definitely making this soon, but I had a question that's kind of on topic/off topic for César...when you were charring the corn, etc. is that just a cooling rack on the stove over the burners? I char peppers and eggplant, etc. all the time right on the burners but if I can use one of my cooling racks, that would be genius and much easier for cleanup.
 
Patty L.
Patty L. August 18, 2024
I have exactly the same question!
 
fisherm3
fisherm3 August 11, 2024
Spectacular recipe! Watched the short video and followed it to the letter and could not have been happier. Full of Southwestern flavor, the gnocchi was cooked perfect, the sauce was heavenly. Ate the leftover sauce as a soup the next day! This has made the family top 10!!
 
Hope C.
Hope C. August 11, 2024
Per video, the sauce has "a little bit" of the spice blend. And the corn goes in right before the sauce.
 
Mary B.
Mary B. August 10, 2024
Meal was relatively tasty but not considering how many steps were required. Also, it states a couple of times to reserve 1 cup of the charred corn but never tells you what to do with it. I added it to the sauce but that information should be in the directions. Probably won’t make again.
 
cosmiccook
cosmiccook August 13, 2024
It states it in Step 5--"Place the skillet back over medium-high heat. Add the gnocchi and cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes to sear. Add 1 ½ cups of the corn & poblano sauce, the reserved charred corn kernels,"